leslie carretero

• France

The fact that the Afghan suspect behind the deadly knife attack in Lyon suffered from mental health problems has highlighted France’s overall challenge of providing migrants with psychological traumas the appropriate care. While some migrants remain unaware of the benefits of seeking help from a psychologist, others suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or are simply impossible to follow-up on because they are continuously on the move.

• France

Since June 11, around 40 undocumented migrant workers, hired to work for the courier delivery firm Chronopost, have been on strike outside the company’s facility in Alfortville, in the Paris suburbs. They say their working conditions are unacceptable and that the French company is taking advantage of their status to, in the words of one worker, “treat us like slaves.”

• Libya

Earlier this year, InfoMigrants managed to communicate with an Ivorian minor locked up in a house in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. For several days, the 16-year-old called Mariam* recounted her experiences in captivity including repeated rapes, her fear of falling pregnant and her dreams of reaching Europe. But then there was silence. Here's an animated account of Mariam's horrific story.

• France

Last week the police installed water taps, showers and toilets near the migrant camp in Grande-Synthe after having been ordered to do so by the Council of State. Relief groups welcome the new facilities but say there aren't enough of them.

• France

A new drop-in center has opened in Paris where migrants sleeping rough can charge their phones, take a shower or do their laundry. The center is open every day and also offers French courses, some healthcare services and legal assistance.

• Senegal

In the early 2000s, the Senegalese coast was a main departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe via Spain and the Canary Islands. The migrant route has since changed, and most migrants now pass through either Libya or Morocco. InfoMigrants went to Thiaroye-sur-Mer, a small fishing village on the outskirts of Dakar, where the majority of the unemployed youth have their minds set on one thing: Going to Europe.

• France

Undocumented migrants and asylum seekers often don’t know that they are entitled to fare reductions. Within the Île-de-France transport system, discounts may be available for them.

• Senegal

After spending seven years in Spain, Issa went back to live in his village in Senegal. He told InfoMigrants that many people who are headed to Europe underestimate how hard life can be for migrants.

• Tunisia
• Niger
• Morocco

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has set up call centers along popular migrant routes in West Africa, allowing migrants to phone home to their families for free. The two-minute calls help the migrants keep in touch with family members who can often go months on end without any news from their loved ones.

• France

The City of Paris has announced that it is opening the doors of its long-awaited “Refugee House”, an activity center aimed at migrants and refugees, in June. The center will house a library and a café, and offer a host of activities, including computer workshops and conversational French classes.

• Greece

Hussein landed on the Greek island of Leros with his wife and two children in January. After several weeks in a camp, the Palestinian family from Syria was relocated to the mainland. The International Organization for Migration settled them in a hotel in Vilia, a small town near Athens, with about 20 other families. A few hours after their arrival on March 15, the hotel was attacked by local residents. Hussein gave his testimony to InfoMigrants.

• France

In Saint-Herblain, on the outskirts of the western French city of Nantes, an abandoned sports hall has become a squat for hundreds of migrants. The living conditions in the squat are dire, and the occupants say they have been left to fend for themselves. “Where’s the government?,” a 27-year-old Guinean wonders.